The Couchfire Collective was founded in 2006 by a small group of visual artists as a way to share common ideas and a common “home” in Junctionview Studios. This union quickly grew and expanded its efforts into being a developing force in the Columbus arts community. Since its inception, Couchfire has had dozens of members who have each uniquely contributed to the groups growth. The group has developed some of the city’s memorable art events, such as Agora, Independents’ Day, AHoles, Treasure Swap, Feast and many others.

Recently, the collective celebrated it’s 5th birthday.

Over that time period, much of the guidance for the group has been provided by Adam Brouillette. He has served as president for the group since its formation, promoting collaboration and innovation through the groups activities. Over the past year, he has taken a role as Executive Director of Wonderland Columbus.

“The Columbus arts community has developed in ways I would have never thought. If Couchfire had anything to do with that, then I am honored to have been part of its growth. However, it is imperative that I not hold the reins forever” said Brouillette.

Taking over leadership of the group is Bryan Kossmann, who has been with the group for 2 years. Bryan’s experience working on Couchfire’s events and his enthusiasm for the Columbus community have lead him to be a natural fit for the role.

“I am excited to take on this responsibility. While the direction of the group may change in the coming months, our core values will remain the same. We look forward to continuing the traditions that we have built as well as taking on some new challenges. I am grateful for the leadership and guidance that Adam has provided and I look forward to serving the Collective as well as the local creative community.” said Kossman.

In the coming months, Couchfire will be setting its new direction and developing its initiatives under Kossmann’s leadership. The popular events that Couchfire is known for will not go away, but may be transitioned to other groups who’s mission is in line with each activity. It is the intention of the group to continue to develop collaborative experiences for the Columbus arts community.

Trick or treat! Tonight and tomorrow we will be celebrating Por Vida II at Junctionview Studios. Tonight is fun for the whole family! Admission is $3 and the fun starts at 7pm. There will be a coloring contest with crafts and sugar skulls for the kids to decorate. Food provided by Pattycake bakery and Ryan Moya will be spinning some tunes.

Saturday will be 21+ with admission at $5 and the party starts at 10pm. Moon High will be playing at 11pm, Dj Captain Lonesome will be spinning old and rare tracks all night. There will be a live dance performance, tarot card reading and Brian Reaume has raised the bar for this year’s “Sanctuary Room.” There will be food on hand from Pattycake Bakery and El Pirata Borracho and ThoughtCo will be printing shirts. Some come on out, pay respect to loved ones gone, see some great art and shake ‘dem bones.

Oh man, so a lot has happened since we posted last. And there is a lot of really cool stuff coming up that we’d like to tell you about! But first, we’d like to say thanks to everyone that planned, participated, volunteered, and help make Independent’s Day a success this year. We had a blast hanging out in our pop-up gallery and hopefully you had a good time too! Onto the new!

We’d like to say a big congratulations to Megan Green (Stinkybomb Soaps) and her husband Rob. Mason Wolfe Green was born on 10/8/10. Mom and kid are doing well. We can’t wait until he’s tall enough to help us hang Agora!

Megan would also like you all to know about the 6th annual Craftin’ Outlaws. Taking place from 10-6 this Saturday at the Gateway Film Center.

This Thursday (Oct. 14th) during the day, we’d like to bring this event to your attention: Creativity in your Life- presented by the Columbus Museum of Art and Artie Isaac. Spend this day focusing on the importance of creativity and innovation in your life. The man above is author Michael Chabon and he will be the keynote speaker for the event. Other speakers include Artie Isaac, Liz Lessner, and Pete Scantland. You can find out more about this day of creativity here.

Thursday night, come on over to Junctionview Studios for the second installment of Bad Movie Nite! A whole night of B-Movies, Shorts, Mashups, Music Videos, Local Commercials, YouTube Opuses and Surprise Guests! It’s only $3 per person, so come on out and have some Thursday night fun.

Speaking of Wonderland-as members and patrons of the creative community, we encourage you to vote for Wonderland in the Pepsi Refresh Everything competition (just follow the link and enter your e-mail to vote every day). If selected, the money won will help with demolition and build-out costs. Vote early and often!

One of our members, Boryana Rusenova is currently showing her work at the Columbus Airport through the end of the month with Christine D’epiro. The next time you’re headed in or out of the city, be sure to take a look at the walls.

Andrew Ina recently participated in the 48 hour film fest and his film was part of the festival’s “Best Of” night. Not only did he create a film worth watching, but he brought home some hardware! His film was awarded Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best use of Character, and was the first runner-up for Best Film!

Alright, so what about our next event? Well here’s the skinny! Viewfinder will take place the weekend of Nov. 20-21 at Junctionview Studios. This will be a weekend of vendors selling their handmade wares and the artists of Junctionview opening their studio doors and inviting you to take a look at what they’ve been up to. In the space that’s left, we’re inviting artists to fill a 4′ x 8′ space with their art. Artists can register here, there is more info about the whole event here, and you can RSVP on facebook.

Last but most certainly not least, Adam Brouilette has been up to quite a bit lately. He was recently named the Executive Director of Wonderland. He has been on the Channel 4 news, WOSU and in the Alive and City Scene for his recent creative endeavors. Notably, he was named “Emerging Arts Leader” by the GCAC. This was a part of the 2010 Community Arts Partnership Awards. The recipients will be honored this Thursday at a luncheon (open to the public!) from noon-1:30 at COSI. For the full release, head here.

Whew! That was a lot to get through, but we’re glad you stuck it out to the end. Hopefully we’ll see you soon at one of these awesome events. Until then, remember to vote for Wonderland every day and to always drink your Ovaltine!

So, you say this weekend will be like every other weekend….nothing to do but be bored and watch TV-WRONG!

First, there’s Friday night(tomorrow!). Fort Shame(one of the bands Bryan Kossmann plays drums in) will be playing with the Woosley Band and Angela Perley at the Treehouse. The fun starts at 10pm and it’s only $5 to get in. facebook

Second, there’s all day Saturday! That’s right, starting at noon, Independent’s Day 2010 begins! There will be food, drinks, art, music, and a whole lot more. The whole shebang will be on Gay St. between High and 3rd and the festival bleeds onto Lynn and Pearl alleys. We here at Couchfire will have art on display in the Grip Technologies space on Gay St. Stop in and say hi! Oh and if you have a good time and happen to run into Wolf Starr-let him know and thank him for his hard work this year. Let all of your friends know that you’re going and invite them to come along on facebook. Full details for the festival can be found on the ID10 website.

Okay, so we’ll let you rest on Sunday, and Monday too, but Tuesday night should be another great event. We’ve had our art on display at the Artillery space in the South Campus Gateway for a couple of weeks and we’re having our closing reception on Tuesday night(it’s also the celebration of our 4th anniversary!). OAL has a show opening that night too, and Artillery will be hosting their monthly artist market as well. And if that’s not enough, there will also be music from Bell Acoustic, The Shrewdness of Apes, The Little Professors, Karate Coyote, and The Wet Darlings. Check it out on facebook!

That’s about it for now, keep your eyes and ears open for news on upcoming events like Feast II and Viewfinder!

Hello everyone! While Couchfire has been kind of laying low the past few months, we’re still working on planning for the upcoming months and next year. In the meantime, this Saturday(8/28), there are two great events that you should check out.

Firstly, there’s Urban Scrawl. From Noon until 8pm, stop by Dodge Park in Franklinton and check out 30 local artists working live, a skateboarding competition and music from The DewDroppers, The Receiver, Maza Blaska, Behind You With Knives, The Ill Fits, Mojoflo, The Saturday Giant, and 0 To 60ish(organized by the Columbus Music Co-Op). There will also be food vendors and a beer truck to keep you hunger and thirst-free. Speaking of free, that’s how much it costs to attend this event!

If that’s not up your alley, then you should stop by the OAL space in the Arts Alley at the South Campus Gateway for Arty Party 2! From 6pm-10pm, there will be a raffle for donated works from local artists. Every piece donated will be up for grabs and the more tickets you buy, the better chance you have of winning! Best of all, there’s no limit on the number of times you can win! There will be refreshments on hand and the raffle starts at 8! Come out and hopefully you’ll take a piece home with you!

So there you have it folks, two great events this weekend. Come to one, come to both, come out and support local art at it’s finest! Stay tuned for information about upcoming Couchfire events and happenings!

Pirate talk aside, drop off your unwanted stuff at Junctionview Studios on Thursday May 6 or Friday May 7 and receive one gold dubloon! What will that buy you? Free admission on May 8 where you can pillage to your heart’s content! No seriously-you get to take the stuff that other people dropped off! Looking to just ADD to the pile in the basement/garage/attic? You can come by on the 8th as well. Early parrot admission is $10 and gets you in from 8-10am. After that, it’s a mere $5 to come and take stuff.